A true-life tale of German espionage and
terror on American soil during World War I, and the NYPD Inspector who helped
uncover the plot—the basis for the film to be produced by and starring Bradley
Cooper

In the summer of 1914, New York Police Department captain Tom
Tunney is preoccupied by Manhattan’s raging gang rivalries and has little idea
that, halfway around the world, a much more ominous threat to the city is
brewing. As Germany teeters on the brink of war, its ambassador to the United
States is given instructions to find and finance a team of undercover saboteurs
who can bring America to its knees before it has a chance to enter the conflict
on the side of the Allies.

At the page-turning pace of a spy thriller, Dark Invasion tells the remarkable true
story of Tunney and his pivotal role in discovering, and delivering to justice,
a ruthless ring of German terrorists determined to annihilate the United
States. Overwhelmed and undermatched, Tunney’s small squad of cops was the
David to Germany’s Goliath, the operatives of which included military officers,
a germ-warfare expert, a gifted Harvard professor, a bomb technician, and a
document forger. As explosions leveled munitions plants and destroyed cargo
ships, particularly in and around New York City, panicked officials talked
about rogue activists and anarchists—but it was Tunney who suspected that these
incidents were part of something bigger and became determined to bring down the
culprits.

Through meticulous research, Blum deftly reconstructs an
enthralling, vividly detailed saga of subterfuge and bravery. His gritty,
energetic narrative follows the German spies—with Tunney hot on their
heels—from the streets, harbors, and warehouses of New York City to the genteel
quads of Harvard, the grand estates of industry tycoons, and the steps of the
US Capitol. The New York Police Department’s breathtaking efforts to unravel
the extent of the German plot and close in on its perpetrators are revealed in
this riveting account of America’s first encounter with a national security
threat unlike any other—the threat of terrorism—that is more relevant now than
ever.

Quotes & Awards

“A must-read for lovers of suspense and anyone who wants to understand how the basis of our homeland security system was born…Expertly told by Howard Blum with shocking betrayals, surprising heroism, artful cons, and heart-in-the-throat chases, Dark Invasion grippingly brings to life two sets of equally fascinating antagonists-cops and terrorists—as they contend over a nation’s fate.”

Tom Reiss, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Count and The Orientalist

“A suspense-filled tale, Dark Invasion uncovers a fascinating corner of history when courageous New York City police officers fought insurmountable odds to defend America against sophisticated German saboteurs at the start of World War I.”

Ronald Kessler, New York Times bestselling author of In the President’s Secret Service

“[A] terrifically engaging and pertinent tale…Blum creates some memorable portraits…and keeps the heroic good-versus-evil plot simmering along in a nicely calibrated work of popular narrative history. Instructive, yes, but also as engrossing as good detective fiction.”

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A worthwhile page-turner, combining the best features of a police procedural and a spy novel with a firm base in verifiable events.”

Publishers Weekly

“In his gripping and expertly crafted narrative, Blum demonstrates that the best stories are true. Told in the great tradition of spy thrillers, Dark Invasion is the startling tale of German secret agents operating in the United States during World War I and the determined effort of a New York detective to stop them. The result is a book that is not only engrossing, but helps explain why America entered the Great War.”

Scott Miller, author of The President and the Assassin

“I read Dark Invasion without stopping. It is a well-researched and exceedingly well-written account of a pre–World War I series of terroristic attacks on the United States, in this case perpetrated by Germans. It is full of good stories and characters.”

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